Autistic masking

[1][2] Masking behavior is a learned coping strategy[3][4] that can be successful from the perspective of some autistic people (e.g., in reducing the chances of being stigmatized[5]), but can also lead to adverse mental health outcomes.

[1][6] Autistic people have cited social acceptance, the need to get a job, and the avoidance of ostracism or verbal or physical abuse as reasons for masking.

They are all me at the core, but they are edited versions of me, designed to not stand out for the "wrong" reasons.Typical examples of autistic masking include the suppression of stimming (in general or in public[5]) and reactions to sensory overload.

[3] To compensate difficulties in social interaction with neurotypical peers, autistic people might maintain eye contact despite discomfort[14][15] or mirror the body language and tone of others.

[7] It can complicate a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for example, underdiagnosis for females, particularly past childhood, as relevant symptoms are suppressed or compensated for.

[28]: 57 [29] Addition of such a formulation was proposed to the workgroup drafting the criteria by representatives of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network including Ari Ne'eman and Steven Kapp.

[35][36][37] Some autistic adults who experienced applied behavior analysis therapy as children describe being forced to behave like neurotypical peers with detrimental effects on their mental and overall well-being.

A study in 2022 conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty autistic teenagers and observed that masking is associated with mental health (but not necessarily in linear relationship) and how both of them are affected by social and environmental factors.

Researchers stressed the need to approach masking, authenticity, and mental health through the context of people's identities and the environment, providing implications for diagnostic services and interventions.